Learning and Living in Polarized Times

As the nation has become more polarized politically, how are we talking with young people — at home, at school, on college campuses — about the values of democracy, about bridging our differences, and about finding common ground? How are we working to help young people make connections with and care for others who think very differently than they do? How can we learn to engage in the kind of “hard” caring that is central to a healthy society? Join us as we develop a new form of dialogue for our homes, schools, and communities — one that acknowledges divides while finding productive ways to cross them.

Speakers:

• Tania Israel, Counseling Psychology Professor, The Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB); author of Beyond Your Bubble: How to Connect Across the Political Divide
• Richard Weissbourd, Faculty Director, Human Development and Psychology, and Director, Making Caring Common Project, HGSE

Host:

Uche Amaechi, Lecturer on Education, HGSE

Key takeaways and prompts for action:

• ​Our country is not as politically divided as we are commonly told – the narrative of our political polarization can be dangerously self-fulfilling.​
• Focus on correcting distorted views of people “on the other side.” Talk “across the aisle.”​
• Best goals for dialogue are connection and understanding.​
• Greater awareness of our own biases are key to advancing both unity and justice. 

Resources:

• Making Caring Common Report: Do Americans Really Care For Each Other? What Unites Us — And What Divides Us
• How to Win a Political Argument (TEDx) | Tania Israel
• Beyond Your Bubble: Dialogue Across Political Lines (Resources)
• More in Common: The Perception Gap